Kenworth Introduces New High-Efficiency T680 Heavy Duty Truck

Kenworth introduced the T680 heavy-duty truck at the 2012 Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville

With fuel prices approaching or even surpassing $5 a gallon in some parts of the country, trying to get as many miles as possible out of every gallon is on everyone's minds, especially truckers. So with the new emphasis on efficiency in mind, Kenworth introduced the T680 heavy-duty truck at the 2012 Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville. The T680 is available in a sleeper or day cab.

The T680 is the most aerodynamic truck in Kenworth's history. Enabling its aerodynamics are a sculpted full-height roof, optimized bumper and hood, full-height side extenders, chassis fairing extenders and flush-mounted lighting. Together, these enhancements add up to a 10-percent improvement in aerodynamics. Also contributing to efficiency are lightweight aluminum doors and a three-piece hood made from sheet molding compound (SMC), a lightweight, durable composite that gives a smooth surface facilitating high paint quality.

The T680 comes standard with dual-lamp halogen headlights, and optional HIDs. All standard exterior lights are LEDs, rated for a 20,000-hour life, or 15 years of normal service. LED lighting is also used extensively in the interior. The Driver Performance Center is a full-color, high-resolution 5-inch display in the middle of the gauge cluster that includes current truck information, diagnostic data and pop-up alerts. The DPC will also display situation-specific recommendations to the driver. Also following general automotive trends, models equipped with the available Kenworth NavPlus offer Bluetooth hands-free calling.

But don't think the focus on aerodynamics and efficiency has negatively impacted comfort or style. The cab is 83 inches wide with a 23 inch opening between the front seats for easy access to the rear sleeper cab. The sleeper cab is 96 inches wide with a high ceiling, facilitated by the sculpted aerodynamic roof, and offers 60 cubic feet of storage, a full-height wardrobe cabinet, a swing-out, rotating table designed to be robust enough for daily use for the life of the truck. The sleeper cab also offers a mount for a flat-screen TV up to 23 inches, a storage tray for a DVD player or video game system, a hook-up for a microwave, and a factory-installed power inverter with the option for shore power.